Wire stretching and reeling machine.



R. RICHARDSON.

' WIRE STRETOHING AND REELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1912.

1 O54,31 3. Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

v Attorneys V ROY RICHARDSON, OF PIKETON, OHIO.

WIRE STRETGHING AND REELING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25,1913.

Application filed April 5, 1912. Serial No. 688,748.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that 1, Roy R-ioimnnsox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Piketon, in the county of Pike and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Wire Stretching and Reeling Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wire stretching and reeling machines, and. has for one of its objects to provide a sulky machine of this character by means of which wire of various characters may be wound up, unreeled, or stretched.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of this character embodying a reel which is adapted to be let down onto the ground and then released in order that the reel may be rolled away from the machine for the purpose of placing a roll of wire or the like thereon.

Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the invention is better understood, this invention resides in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompa nying drawings wherein the invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment, and wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, parts being broken away. Figs. 3 and 1 are perspective views of clamps employed in connection with the machine.

Referring specifically to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters have been employed to denote corresponding parts, the numeral 5 designates an axle, which has the ground wheels 6 secured in any suitable manner on the ends thereof, and a pair of thills or shafts 7 are attached or connected to the axle 5. The wheels 6 are detachably secured to the ends of the axle in order to be readily removed there from, and the respective thills or shafts 7 are attached at an intermediate point and adjacent one end of the axle in order thatthe axle may rotate therein, a hound S being connected or attached to the other end of the axle 5. A cross bar 9 is secured to the thills 7 and the hound S and a swingletree 14 is connected to the cross bar 4. This swingletree 14 is connected to the free end of a lever 12, which lever is fulcrunied to an arm 11 extending forwardly from the cross bar 9 adjacent the hound S, and a short chain or cable 13 connects the lever 12 and the cross bar 9 to receive the draft exerted on the swingletree 11 by the horse or other draft animal attached thereto.

Standards 16 are attached to the outer thill 7 and the hound 8 adjacent the axle 5, and a beam 17 is secured to the upper ends of the standards. The structure or frame provided by the standards 16 and the beam 17 is braced by means of braces 18 connecting the upper ends of the standards with the cross bar 9.

A, pair of arms 19 are pivotally connected to the shaft 5 adjacent the ends thereof and are connected at intermediate points by means of a cross bar or beam 38. A square or non-circular shaft 21 has its ends journaled in the free ends of the arms 19 and has a ratchet wheel 26 secured on one end thereof outside of the corresponding arm 19 and a nut or other securing member 28 engaged on the other end thereof outside of the other arm 19 so that the shaft is normally retained in position. A pawl or dog 27 cooperates with the ratchet wheel 26 and is carried by the corresponding arm 19 in order to prevent the reverse rotation of the shaft. A large gear wheel 22 is mounted on the shaft 21 on the inside of the arm 19 adjacent the ratchet wheel 26, and a pulley wheel 33 and a sheave are also mounted on the shaft 21 adjacent the gear wheel 22, the pulley 33 being interposed between the reel 32 and the gear wheel 22. The gear wheel 22, pulley 33 and the'reel 32 are preferably cast integral and have a square or non-circular opening therethrough through which the shaft 21 passes in order to const aim the said parts against rotation on the shaft and to permit the said shaft to slide longitudinally therein. A reel 29 is mounted on the shaft 21 between the reel 82 and the opposite arm 19, this reel 29 having a square or non-circular passage therethrough through which the shaft 21 passes in order to constrain the reel 29 against rotation on the shaft and to permit the shaft to slide longitudinally therein. This reel 29 has a flange 31 at its inner end which flange also forms a flange for the reel and the outer flange 30 of the reel 29 is detachable for the purpose which will hereinafter appear. A short shaft 24 is journalcd through the arm 19 adjacent the gear wheel 22 and has a pinion 23 secured on the inner end thereof,

which pinion meshes with the gear wheel 22, the outer end of the shaft being square for the engagement of a socketed crank 25.

A pulley wheel 3st is secured on the axle 5 and rotates therewith, and a loose belt- 10 is trained about the pulleys 33 and 3%. A bell crank lever 36 is fulcrumed on the beam 17 and carries an idler 35 at the extremity of one arm, which idler is adapted to be swung against the belt 10 so as to tighten same. The other arm of the bell crank lever 38 projects forwardly and is provided with a tread or foot piece 37. A seat 15 is carried by the cross bar 9 adjacent the outermost thill 7 in order that when the operator is seated upon the seat, he may readily depress the tread 37 so as to swing the idler 35 into engagement with the belt 10.

A pair of reels 43 are mounted on the upper ends of the standards 16 and are provided with cranks 44 for convenience in rotating or actuating same. Cables 20 are attached to the arms 19 and to the reels 4-3 in order that the said cables may be wound and unwound upon the reels so as to raise or lower the arms 19. The reels 43 may be locked in position in any suitable manner, the details of which need not be shown nor described.

A pair of dogs 39 are pivotally connected at the rear ends of the thills or shafts 7 in order to trail in rear of the aXle on the surface of the ground over which the machine is traversing, so that the said dogs prevent the backing of the machine.

A cable or chain 10 is attached at one end to the reel 32 and the other end thereof may have attached thereto a wire clamp of any suitable character, such as is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In Fig. 3, the clamp 42 is adapted to clamp a plurality of strands for the purpose of stretching the strands of a fence or a number of telephone or telegraph wires and the like, whereas the form shown in Fig. at comprises a pair of crossed and pivoted levers and is adapted particularly for engaging a single strand of wire, the cable 4L0 passing through the arm of one lever and being engaged to the other arm in order that when the cable is drawn taut the levers are swung together so as to tightly clamp the w1re.

1V hen the machine is used for unreeling or letting out wire, a roll of wire is arranged on the reel 29 so that when the machine is drawn forwardly by the horse or other draft animal and the idler 35 is disengaged from the belt 10, the wire may be readily unwound from the reel 29 as the machine moves forwardly. A roll of wire may be readily mounted on the reel 29, this being accomplished. by permitting the arms 19 to swing downwardly either by letting the cables 20 unwind from the reels 43 or by swinging the thills or shafts 7 upwardly,

and when the reel 29 is swung against the ground, the shaft 21 may be slid outwardly by disengaging the nut 28 from the end thereof. By sliding the shaft 21 outwardly the reel 29 may be freed or released and may be thus rolled upon the surface of the ground away from the machine. The flange 30 may then be detached from the reel in order to permit the roll of wire to be readily inserted on the reel, in which event, the flange 30 maybe again attached to the reel and the reel may be rolled back into position permitting the shaft 21 to be again passed through the reel 29. lVhen the shaft 21 has been secured in position, the reel 29 which is carried by the arms 19 may be again raised by the same 11 cans by which it was permitted to be lowered, namely, the reels 43 or the thills or shafts 7. It will be noted that the thills or shafts 7 provide considerable leverage for readily swinging the reel 29 when bearing a roll of wire.

lVhen the machine is employed for stretching wire, the strand or strands of wire are attached to the cable 10 by means of a suitable clamp, such as are referred to above, and by moving the machine forwardly, the wires may be stretched. This means of stretching the wire is adapted particularly for use in stretching short lengths of wire or where there is not much resistance. For producing a great draft to stretch the strand or strands of wire, the crank 25 is attached to the shaft 24 and is then rotated in order to rotate the shaft 21 and the reel 32. In this manner, the cable 10 may be wound upon the reel 32 in such a manner to produce sufficient draft for stretching long strands of wire, or wires which have considerable resistance in stretching, such as barbed or woven wires. It will be seen that the dogs 39 which engage the soil prevent the machine from backing as the wire is stretched and that the ratchet wheel 26 and its pawl 27 prevent the reverse rotation of the shaft 21 unless the pawl 27 is swung out of engagement with the ratchet wheel.

This machine may be employed for winding up or unreeling wires of various charactors, such as woven wire, barbed wire, telephone or telegraph wires, and the like, and may also be employed to stretch wires of various characters, such as indicated. This machine is comparatively simple, and inexpensive as well as compact in construction, and in its use is both convenient and efficient.

This machine may be found useful for numerous purposes, and it is understood that it is susceptible of Various alterations or deviations in its details within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A machine of the character specified embodying an axle, wheels secured on the ends thereof, standards carried by the said axle, arms connected to the axle to swing to and from the ground, means connecting the said arms to the standards for raising and lowering the arms, a shaft removably journaled in the said arms, a reel slidably mounted on the shaft and constrained against rotation thereon, means for operatively connecting the shaft and the axle, means for preventing the reverse rotation of the shaft, and means carried by one of said arms operatively connected to the shaft for actuating the shaft.

2. A machine of the character specified embodying an axle, wheels secured on the ends thereof, standards carried by the said axle, arms connected to the axle and adapted to swing to and from the ground, means connecting the arms to the said standards for raising and lowering the arms, a shaft journaled in the arms, a gear, pulley, ratchet wheel, and a pair of reels on the said shaft, a pawl mounted on one of said arms and cooperating with the ratchet wheel to prevent the reverse rotation of the shaft, a pulley on the axle, a loose belt trained around the said pulleys, means for tightening the belt, a short shaft mounted in one of said arms, and a pinion on the latter shaft meshing with the said gear.

3. A machine of the character specified embodying an axle, wheels secured on the ends thereof, standards carried by the said axle, arms connected to the axle and adapted to swing to and from the ground, means connecting the arms to the standards for raising and lowering the arms, a shaft journaled in the arms, a pulley and a reel mounted on the shaft, means mounted on one of the said arms and cooperating with the shaft to prevent the reverse rotation of the shaft, a pullev on the axle, a loose belt trained around the said pulleys, means for tightening the belt, and means carried by one of the said arms operatively connected to the said shaft for actuating same.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROY RICHARDSON.

\Vitnesses:

Roy BORDEN, J. F. BATEMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

